Summer Spike for EV Sales

A new battery-electric vehicle was registered every 60 seconds in the UK in July, as sales surged by 87.9% year-on-year, according to the latest figures from the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Electric vehicles accounted for more than a third of the market, with battery-electric vehicles now accounting for 16% of all new registrations for the month. The SMMT predicts that, by the end of the year, a new battery-electric car will be registered every 50 seconds, and by the end of 2024 it will be one every 40 seconds.

The organisation is calling on government to do more to support the transition, with fiscal incentives and investment in charging infrastructure. There were a record 3,056 new standard public chargers installed in the three months to July, equal to one for every 35 new vehicles registered.

However, in order to meet the government’s minimum target of 300,000 charge points by 2030, the installation rate needs to treble to almost 10,000 chargers per quarter.

“The industry remains committed to meeting the UK’s zero-emission deadlines and continues to make the investments to get us there,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive.

“Choice and innovation in the market are growing, so it’s encouraging to see more people switching on to the benefits of driving electric. With inflation, rising costs of living and a zero-emission vehicle mandate that will dictate the market coming next year, however, consumers must be given every possible incentive to buy. Government must pull every lever, therefore, to make buying, running and, especially, charging an EV affordable and practical for every driver in every part of the country.”